


Red and Gold

by IBlogAboutIt



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Enjolras is beautiful, Fluff, Grantaire pines, M/M, established Combeferre/Courfeyrac, they're both oblivious idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-20
Updated: 2015-04-20
Packaged: 2018-03-24 21:23:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3784747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IBlogAboutIt/pseuds/IBlogAboutIt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Grantaire's fallen in love with a revolutionary in a red waistcoat. Enjolras doesn't have the slightest clue. Everyone else is sick of their utter obliviousness. e x R<br/>(Slightly different take on the soulmate tattoo au)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red and Gold

Grantaire loves his soulmark. It runs into his birthmark, the deep purple bleeding into the brown that’s a few shades darker than his skin. He designed his tattoos around it, blending it into the breast of a robin, almost hidden by leaves on his left forearm.

Sometimes he hates his art, but he can never bring himself to hate the pieces he based off his soulmark.

//

_No one quite understands soulmarks. The only universal thing about them is that they lighten, become brighter, when you fall in love with your soulmate._

_For some, like Cosette and Marius, it's instant._

_For others, it's a gradual change._

_A person can have more than one soulmate. If you separate from one, your soulmark will darken again._

_For some, it disappears completely._

//

He came along to the meeting at Combeferre's request. He stays because of the stunning man who is so on fire with passion Grantaire nicknames him Apollo. Grantaire disagrees with every point he makes, just to watch him argue back.

Grantaire meets Joly and Bossuet, who insist that he meet Feuilly at some stage after he tells them about the bar fight from two weeks ago. He meets Eponine (and suspects she might be carrying knives, but he's not certain) and agrees to get coffee with her.

Once the introductions are over, he heads to the back of the room where Courfeyrac's arm is thrown over Combeferre's shoulder, the brightness of their soulmarks so obvious on their bare wrists (he was so glad when their soulmarks changed after they moved in together. He couldn't imagine them with anyone else).

'Hey 'Aire!' Courfeyrac's voice is a little too loud for the small room.

'Hello Courf,' Grantaire responds before sitting down.

Combeferre twisted around to look at Grantaire. 'Did you have to disagree with everything he said?' He sighs.

Grantaire looks up from the bottle (whose label is being slowly removed by paint stained hands).

'Apollo? Yes. Just because he speaks well doesn't mean he's right about everything.'

'His name's Enjolras. And he is right about most things.' Courfeyrac nods in agreement.

'His name should be Apollo. And besides, he's just too much fun to argue with.'

Combeferre doesn't reply, looking up into the crowd of people that fill the cafe. Grantaire follows his gaze to see Enjolras ( _Apollo_ , his mind unhelpfully supplies) slipping through those standing to join them at their table.

'I don't think I caught your name.' Enjolras is looking at Grantaire.

'Grantaire. Most people call me 'Aire though - it's what I sign with.' Grantaire internally winces; here comes the inevitable question.

'Sign?'

'Yeah, Apollo. I'm an artist - well, art student. I'm nothing special.' There are sounds of protestation from Combeferre and Courfeyrac.

'Did you design your tattoos?' Enjolras' eyes dart from arm to arm, the ends of the other man's sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

'Yep. All mine, with some minor charges from the tattoo artist.'

'You're very talented.' Enjolras smiles at him.

'Thanks, Apollo.' A confused look crosses the other man's face.

Grantaire just smirks back at him (he can hardly tell him to his face that he chose the nickname because he's never seen someone so like the sun, that all he wants to do is paint him in golds with the bright blue of his eyes and a splash of red for his waistcoat).

Grantaire stands up suddenly, making some excuse and getting out of the cafe before he does something stupid.

(When Combeferre walks in the next day and there's a new painting in Grantaire's living room, he doesn't say a word - even though it's a sunset, full of gold and just fringed with red).

//

After the second meeting, just for a moment, Grantaire looks at his left forearm and thinks for a moment that his soulmark has changed colour.

Then he convinces himself it's just a trick of the light.

(Combeferre and Courfeyrac, should they be asked, would disagree).

//

At some point Grantaire agrees to go for drinks after a meeting with Joly and Bossuet, that eventually turns into an 'everybody come and bring your friends.' Which is how Grantaire finally meets Feuilly, as well as Musichetta and Bahorel.

It's also how he gets drunk enough to show everyone his soulmark (which he regrets in the morning cause he  _knows_  it's gotten lighter and by their faces Combeferre and Courf know too and at least Enjolras wasn't there).

(He doesn't suspect that they know who it's changed for).

(They do).

//

It's six months after Grantaire first met Enjolras, almost to the day. He sits at his table at the back of the room, smiling to himself as he watches the blonde fire words, his burning passion pouring out. 

Combeferre lays his hand on Grantaire's arm (and Grantaire doesn't jump, he  _doesn't_ , it's just that that's right where his soulmark is).

Combeferre leans to his ear, whispering, 'If you don't want him to know, you probably shouldn't stare at him like that.'

Grantaire hasn't got a response, because he doesn't want Enjolras to know.

(If he did, he would roll his sleeves back up so everyone could see the vivid red that his soulmark has become. He likes it like that, a red-breasted robin, but he couldn't bear to be asked about it - not by Enjolras, who  _would_ ).

//

Combeferre knows, and so Courfeyrac knows.

Grantaire's paintings revert to the red and gold that he used so much six months ago.

(Robins tend to feature heavily).

//

And then Joly wants to repaint his living room, so everyone comes over (mostly for entertainment) and it's warm cause it's the end of July.

Joly and Bossuet are already shirtless.

Grantaire watches Enjolras carefully as he looks at the other two's bare backs, then nods to himself as if making a decision. He sheds the button down he's wearing, leaving only a white singlet underneath. 

Grantaire gasps, loud and undignified, when he sees the slash of burning bright gold across the other man's bicep. It's not yellow-gold, but the pure shade of genuine gold.

Enjolras, hearing his gasp, turns to face him. Grantaire can feel his face going bright red, and flees the room before anyone has time to react.

Combeferre texts him, asking if he's ok, and he says he is. Combeferre knows that he needs space to be destructively creative.

(He still paints that evening, slashes of dark green and blue, anything but gold and red, but what he doesn't tell Combeferre is that he arrived home with bright eyes, and sobbed on the hard floor by his kitchen bench for half an hour before he moved at all).

(He doesn't go to the next meeting).

//

When Grantaire finally starts going back to meetings, everyone makes a big fuss about him.

He just makes sure he avoids making eye contact with Enjolras, and keeps his sleeves rolled down.

(He does, however, sneak looks at Enjolras' bicep, hidden by his sleeve, when he's not looking).

(Combeferre notices)

//

Finally Combeferre and Courfeyrac pull him up on it, approaching him on an afternoon when they know there's a meeting that evening.

''Aire, why are you avoiding Enjolras?' Courfeyrac doesn't bother mincing words.

Grantaire sighs. 'Because, Courf, I'm in love with him and he's in love with someone else.’

Courfeyrac snorts. ‘You’ve been in love with him for ages, Grantaire. Why now?’

‘Cause it was fine when he was Apollo, all perfect on his pedestal. But he’s human now, he’s found his _soulmate_ ,’ Grantaire spits the word out violently, ‘and I can’t just stop being in love with him.’

Courfeyrac and Combeferre just stare at him.

‘Do you have any idea how much this _hurts_?’ The man’s voice cracks on the last word, and his head drops.

‘’Aire…’ Combeferre’s voice is soft, almost pitiful. Grantaire looks up, and hates what he sees in the other two’s eyes.

‘Look can we just eat pizza and shoot stuff?’

Courfeyrac smiles at this. ‘Okay. I’ll get the Xbox set up, Combeferre can get pizza.’

(Grantaire can’t work out what he did to deserve such good friends).

//

Unfortunately, Xbox and pizza aren’t enough to discourage Grantaire’s friends. They’re wandering through an old factory, assault rifles at the ready, when Combeferre speaks up.

‘Who do you think his soulmate is?’ The question is quiet, and Grantaire wonders about his reasoning behind it (because Combeferre never does something for no reason).

‘I don’t know. Probably some revolutionary he met at a protest. I didn’t think he had a soulmark, I hadn’t seen it before.’

‘It was just very light. Do you really think he’d fall in love with someone he just met at a protest?’ Courfeyrac punctuates the question with a burst of gunfire.

‘I dunno. That’d be the perfect kind of person for him, wouldn’t it? Idealistic, active, that sort of thing.’ He jumps off a decrepit machine.

Combeferre follows him. ‘I wouldn’t say so. It’s be someone who would disagree with him, help him build up arguments, challenge him.’ He glances over to Grantaire, who’s stopped moving both on and off screen.

Courfeyrac pauses the level, seeing as how no one is actually playing any more, and begins to clear up the empty pizza boxes and beer bottles.

‘You really think so?’ Grantaire’s voice can hardly be heard over the music emanating from the TV.

‘Definitely.’ Courfeyrac and Combeferre say the word in perfect synchrony, and Combeferre follows it up with ‘We’ll be heading off then. Text me later?’

‘Yeah, sure,’ Grantaire mumbles absently.

(He does, saying he’s going to sleep but he lies awake thinking about what his friends said and wondering if it could be true).

(He also thinks about a certain Greek god, and his personification in a blonde revolutionary with a red waistcoat).

//

He comes to the meeting the next week, and acts as he usually would but with the constant thought of that slash of gold across Enjolras’ bicep. He wonders a few times if it could be for him, then writes it off (how could someone like him be loved by Apollo?).

He notices a lot of his friends watching him, like Combeferre and Courfeyrac do, and of course they all know. He doesn’t really care, as long as Enjolras remains oblivious.

He does talk to Enjolras, but keeps it to sarcastic remarks and sharp smirks, his usual defence.

(Enjolras frowns too often during the conversation and Grantaire doesn’t think about that as he walks home, he _doesn’t_ ).

(Combeferre has to reassure Enjolras that it isn’t his fault).

//

Grantaire keeps going to the meetings, all through finals and into the holidays. He does his best to treat Enjolras as normal, and Enjolras only frowns a little more than usual. Grantaire takes that as a win.

//

Combeferre and Courfeyrac are organising the Christmas party and for a moment Grantaire considers not going but these are his best friends so there’s not really a choice here. He dresses nicely, in a forest green button down with a thin black tie and black skinny jeans (he knows he looks good but he has to stop before he walks into the room filled with his friends to take a deep breath).

And then he’s inside with everyone, laughing and drinking and it’s like nothing’s changed (and he refuses to attribute that to the fact that Enjolras hasn’t arrived yet). He sits with Eponine at the back of the room, very carefully facing away from Marius and Cosette who are all over each other (because Eponine’s soulmark hasn’t quite gone back to its original colour, even though Eponine swears she’s over him). The night goes on, and it’s brilliant fun except from the moments that Grantaire wonders where Enjolras is, and what he’s doing that he still isn’t there.

And then he walks in, wearing a new deep red waistcoat over a black shirt that only makes his hair and eyes stand out even more, and Grantaire can’t breathe. He looks over to Combeferre, panicking, and his friend catches his eye. After a moment Courfeyrac intercepts Enjolras, dragging him into some argument and Combeferre is taking Grantaire’s arm and leading him into the hallway, telling him to _breathe, ‘Aire, you need to breathe_. Grantaire gasps in air, and leans against the wall shaking.

‘I can’t do it, Combeferre. I can’t – tell them I’ve gone home sick, whatever, just please don’t make me go back in there.’

Combeferre sighs, and rolls his shoulders. ‘You didn’t see his face when he walked in, did you?’

‘Of course I saw his face!’ Grantaire is almost squealing. ‘It was damn perfect!’

‘No, Grantaire. He looked straight over to you and basically froze. It wasn’t hard for Courfeyrac to talk to him cause you were too busy leaving the room.’ Grantaire’s face is blank.

‘Christ, Grantaire, do you have any idea how good you look in that outfit!?’ Combeferre’s calming tone has turned exasperated.

‘What?’ Grantaire looks up sharply.

‘If you want my help, Grantaire, you need to be a little less oblivious!’ Combeferre takes a deep breath. ‘That outfit looks amazing on you. And if you really are looking for my advice, I say roll up your sleeves before you go back in there.’ Combeferre shakes his head and walks back into the room.

Grantaire stares back at him. He doesn’t think he can walk back in there with his soulmark on show (because everyone else has known for long enough that surely Enjolras knows where it is by now), but he’s had just enough to drink to do it anyway.

Combeferre smiles at him when he sees Grantaire’s bare arms, and Grantaire is thanking every deity he can remember that Enjolras isn’t there.

That is, until a (very familiar) hand lays itself on his forearm, right over his soulmark. He jumps back and turns to look at Enjolras.

‘Hey Apollo.’ He tries to keep his voice even.

‘I’m sorry if I startled you.’ Enjolras sounds so…genuine.

‘Nah, I’m fine. Having a good night?’

‘Yeah. It’s nice, having everyone here at once.’ For once, Grantaire agrees with him.

There’s an awkward pause.

(Later, Grantaire will say that he finally got the balls to ask him but he knows it was that he’d had too much to drink, moping with Eponine).

‘Who did your soulmark change for?’

Enjolras freezes.

Grantaire starts apologising, knowing that he overstepped, but goes quiet when he meets Enjolras’ gaze.

‘You really don’t know?’ Grantaire can barely hear the other man’s voice. He shakes his head.

Enjolras just sighs. ‘You, Grantaire. It could only be you.’

Grantaire raises his hand to Enjolras’ arm, thumb brushing across his sleeve where he knows there’s a gold streak (and he knows he’s not breathing but Enjolras isn’t either and he’s pretty sure everyone’s stopped talking but he can’t hear anything over his heart beat).

He realises how close they’re standing, and on an impulse leans in until their foreheads meet.

‘Apollo…’ Grantaire pauses. ‘Mine changed for you, you know.’

Enjolras turns his forearm to trace the shape of the robin, to brush his fingers over its bright red breast. Grantaire looks up, catching Enjolras’ eyes.

He tilts his head forward, making sure to leave space between their lips (because he knows he wants this but part of him still doesn’t believe that Enjolras could, that he _does_ ). Enjolras covers the rest of the distance and they’re kissing, hesitantly at first and then Grantaire steps closer and Enjolras responds in kind and _oh_. In some unoccupied part of his brain he thinks that Enjolras kisses with the same passion that he speaks with, and that he’s going to do a whole new series of paintings but this time he’s going to paint Enjolras because at last _he can_.

And then they’re both coming up for air, and Grantaire is suddenly aware of the entire room cheering and whistling, and he drops his head onto the other man’s shoulder as his face turns red.

Combeferre and Courfeyrac are the first to walk up, congratulating them, and the rest of their friends follow. Joly claps him on the shoulder and thanks him, mentioning a betting pool, and Bossuet grumbles at him (Grantaire finds out later that all their friends had been betting on when they’d get together, and Joly had had money on the Christmas party but Bossuet had put his on afterwards, which explains their reaction).

//

Things finally go back to normal – well, more or less. Enjolras still talks of revolt, and Grantaire still argues, but they’re both smiling by the end of it (and every now and again they arrive a little after everyone else with hair tousled and red lips and no one explicitly says how glad they are to get rid of all that sexual tension but they all think it).

(Grantaire thinks he’s never been happier. Enjolras knows he hasn’t).

(They both know it won’t be perfect, they’ll disagree and yell and fight, but at the end of the day they still love each other and that’s enough for both of them).

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! This is as yet unbeta'd, so feel free to point out any mistakes - constructive criticism is greatly appreciated too.  
> Have a nice day, and as they say in my hometown, don't forget to be awesome :D


End file.
